Autonomous traveling apparatus

Abstract

An autonomous traveling apparatus includes a detecting device that is provided with a plurality of optical detecting units each of which detects a detection target object by using light. At least two optical detecting units out of the plurality of optical detecting units are arranged in a vertical direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An autonomous traveling apparatus comprising:
 a detecting device that is provided with a plurality of optical detecting units each of which detects a detection target object by using light,   wherein the autonomous traveling apparatus autonomously travels while detecting the detection target object by using the detecting device, and   wherein at least two optical detecting units out of the plurality of optical detecting units are arranged in a vertical direction.   
     
     
         2 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein two or more optical detecting units out of the optical detecting units arranged in the vertical direction are different from each other in detecting structure for detecting the detection target object.   
     
     
         3 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein two or more optical detecting units out of the optical detecting units arranged in the vertical direction are arranged such that detection ranges thereof in a horizontal direction become wider from one side toward the other side in the vertical direction.   
     
     
         4 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the two or more optical detecting units are arranged such that detection ranges thereof in the horizontal direction become wider from a lower side toward an upper side.   
     
     
         5 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein central positions or approximately central positions of the detection ranges in the horizontal direction of the two or more optical detecting units are aligned with each other in the vertical direction.   
     
     
         6 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the optical detecting units arranged in the vertical direction include two Lidar devices and an imaging camera, and   wherein the imaging camera is disposed between the two Lidar devices.   
     
     
         7 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the two Lidar devices are a three-dimensional Lidar device and a two-dimensional Lidar device, and   wherein the three-dimensional Lidar device, the imaging camera, and the two-dimensional Lidar device are arranged in this order in a direction from the lower side to the upper side such that detection ranges thereof in the horizontal direction become wider from a lower side toward an upper side.   
     
     
         8 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the optical detecting units arranged in the vertical direction further include an infrared camera and an omnidirectional camera, and   wherein the infrared camera and the omnidirectional camera are provided above an optical detecting unit other than the infrared camera and the omnidirectional camera out of the optical detecting units arranged in the vertical direction.   
     
     
         9 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the infrared camera and the omnidirectional camera are arranged in this order in a direction from the lower side to the upper side.   
     
     
         10 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a traveling apparatus body that is provided with two or more optical detecting units out of the optical detecting units arranged in the vertical direction;   a lifting and lowering table; and   a lifting and lowering device that lifts and lowers the lifting and lowering table with respect to the traveling apparatus body,   wherein the infrared camera and the omnidirectional camera are provided on the lifting and lowering table.   
     
     
         11 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a traveling apparatus body that is provided with two or more optical detecting units out of the optical detecting units arranged in the vertical direction; and   a cover member that covers the traveling apparatus body,   wherein the cover member includes a body covering portion, which covers a portion of the traveling apparatus body other than a portion of the traveling apparatus body that is provided with the two or more optical detecting units, and an optical detecting unit covering portion, which covers the two or more optical detecting units, the body covering portion and the optical detecting unit covering portion being formed separately from each other.   
     
     
         12 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an optical detecting unit fixing frame to which two or more optical detecting units out of the optical detecting units arranged in the vertical direction are fixed,   wherein the optical detecting unit covering portion is fixed to the optical detecting unit fixing frame.   
     
     
         13 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the two or more optical detecting units out of the optical detecting units arranged in the vertical direction protrude outwards from the traveling apparatus body, and   wherein the optical detecting unit covering portion covers the two or more optical detecting units which protrude outwards from the body covering portion which is formed separately from the optical detecting unit covering portion.   
     
     
         14 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the optical detecting unit covering portion includes a first optical detecting unit covering portion, which covers the two or more optical detecting units provided on the traveling apparatus body except for the entire portion or a portion of a tip end position optical detecting unit which is an optical detecting unit positioned at a tip end position out of the two or more optical detecting units provided on the traveling apparatus body, and a second optical detecting unit covering portion, which covers the entire portion or a portion of the tip end position optical detecting unit which protrudes outwards from the first optical detecting unit covering portion, the first optical detecting unit covering portion and the second optical detecting unit covering portion being formed separately from each other.   
     
     
         15 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to claim  14 ,
 wherein the tip end position optical detecting unit has a non-detection range in which the detection target object is not detected, and   wherein the second optical detecting unit covering portion is provided to extend toward an upper surface of the tip end position optical detecting unit from the first optical detecting unit covering portion in the non-detection range of the tip end position optical detecting unit.   
     
     
         16 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the second optical detecting unit covering portion includes a projecting portion that projects outwards in the horizontal direction from the upper surface of the tip end position optical detecting unit.   
     
     
         17 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the first optical detecting unit covering portion includes a body portion and a protrusion portion that protrudes from the body portion in the non-detection range in the horizontal direction of the tip end position optical detecting unit, and   wherein the second optical detecting unit covering portion is fixed to the body portion of the first optical detecting unit covering portion in a state of being supported by the protrusion portion of the first optical detecting unit covering portion.   
     
     
         18 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the first optical detecting unit covering portion has a trapezoidal shape or an approximately trapezoidal shape and the size of a portion of the first optical detecting unit covering portion which is close to the traveling apparatus body is larger than the size of a portion of the first optical detecting unit covering portion which is distant from the traveling apparatus body.   
     
     
         19 . The autonomous traveling apparatus according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 an optical detecting unit fixing frame to which two or more optical detecting units out of the optical detecting units arranged in the vertical direction are fixed,   wherein the first optical detecting unit covering portion is fixed to the optical detecting unit fixing frame, and   wherein the first optical detecting unit covering portion is provided with a first base that reduces a distance between the first optical detecting unit covering portion and a fixation portion of the second optical detecting unit covering portion and a second base that reduces a distance between the first optical detecting unit covering portion and a fixation portion of the optical detecting unit fixing frame.